It was the year 1999, many people were terrified. The world as they knew it would end, planes would fall from the sky, businesses would fail , the economy would collapse, and this they believed, because of a computer glitch, as we entered the new millenium. Nothing Happened. This was no surprise to Author Alan Wallach. Alan, had been a programmer for IBM. He did his research and was certain everything would be just fine. He believed it so much that he wrote a book "The Year 2000 Hoax". A bunch of uninformed alarmists went on TV, wrote articles trying to scare the populace. Alan 's book denied this possibility. He went on TV and debated with others who thought differently. We all now know that Alan was correct. It was much ado about nothing. Alan took a very circuitous route to becoming an Author. He was ROTC and after college was in the US air force for 4 years. This life gave him the impetus for his novel/memoir "A Long Drunk and a Breakfast", a description of his adventures, his romantic entanglements and the many lessons learned. Other jobs followed, meteorologist, programmer, manager for IBM, entrepreneur. The ultimate fun job was working in Milan, Italy, setting up a computer division for an engineering company. Alan and his family lived in Milan for about 8 years.These were years of working hard and playing just as hard. Skiing in St Moritz, Switzerland, learning a new language and just loving life. Alan's book, "Corviglia" is a mystery concerning the then Shah of Iran and his family . In reality the Shah owned a huge home in Suvretta, an area within St Moritz. Upon returning from Europe the family moved to Massachusetts, first to the Boston area and finally settling in the Berkshires of Western Mass. Besides his day job, Alan wrote a computer column for The Berkshire Eagle. the local paper. He was lucky to have had an amazing editor who encouraged him, after reading a certain very popular porn book, to try one himself. And so was born "Solomon's Dozen". Solomon is a widower in his seventies, who goes to the Metropolitan Opera to watch Mozart's Don Giovanni.The story delights him, and he decides to once again have some adventures and maybe even, once again, find love. These are a description of a dozen of his erotic encounters. Alan Wallach has written a series of four books for young readers. "Kieran;'s Adventures ". The impetus for this series were two grandchildren, One who decided it would be fun to write a book with his grandpa, and then lost interest, and years later another grandson who would not read. His name, of course, is Kieran. Alan is an eclectic author. He writes for very dissimilar audiences, children and/or adults. He has written three mysteries and is currently working on a fourth. Two involving some of the same characters, "The Amerada Affair" and "Moffett's Wife" The latter, taking place in Italy. His novel "The Super'" is a wonderful trash filled book about a gentle giant of a man working as a superintendent for a large apartment building in the Berkshires. Alan himself is eclectic. He is a mathematician, a more than accomplished classical pianist. He is a skier, a swimmer, he plays racquetball, basketball and of course, he writes. He also makes videos about aging, about politics, about finding old friends, about not letting age get in the way of doing what you want to do, like skiing. They are short and impactful Alan and his wife live in Bergen County and manage to return to Milan every once in a while. You can find Alan's books on Amazon, Smashwords, Goodreads, Barnes and Noble online. Or go to: alanwallach.com
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Her name was Grace. Perfect for a gentle,sweet and beautiful lady. Grace was born in the south, in Kentucky, to be precise. She was born to procreate. She was not loved or cherished. No one held her, or helped her through difficult times. Her nature was tender, her general stance was one of fear. Grace had many babies, and she was a good mom. One day Grace had had it, and when she saw an opportunity, she bolted. Where to go? Grace ran like the wind and wound up at a smelly garbage dump with many places to hide. But the sounds and the sight of the huge trucks terrified her. One day, a kind passerby watched as some kids began throwing rocks at the now hungry and very scared Grace. He shooed them away, and took the shaking pup in his arms. His warm and cozy car was waiting and they rode to the nearest shelter. Eventually, through the wonderful pet rescue system, Grace found herself in the northeast and into the care of the amazing people at Peace4Paws rescue. Through a little trial and error, Jennifer Cece, the founder of the rescue, and Judy, Grace's foster mom, sweet Grace found her forever home. That was two years ago, and Grace, although still a little skittish, is loving and confident, and is thriving. Jennifer Cece is truly a wonder. There cannot be a busier person. Beyond her work with the very active rescue, Jennifer is an opera singer, a voice teacher, and the mom of her own, now, two pups. Sometimes there have been more. The impetus for founding an animal rescue came from Jennifer's care and worry about research animals, after they were retired from the lab. She was particularly worried about the chimps. Chimps share 98% of their DNA with us. She had been touched by heartbreaking videos filmed by rescues like the ASPCA. Recently, Peace4Paws found a home for many young beagles being used as research animals, until the lab was shut down. Many of us care about animals and wish we could do something. Jennifer did and does. She founded Peace4Paws in 2007 In the beginning they worked with the Kindness Ranch, which had a sanctuary, Jungle Friends, who work with monkeys, and the Beagle Freedom Project. These were all major beneficiaries of Peace4Paws For some reason, Peace4Paws rescue is presented with animals that seem to be the most difficult to adopt. At least that is the way one might feel after reading their backstories. Sometimes a foster mother has a rescued pup for so long it begins to feel like family. But one day, the right person comes along and the dog finds its place and its person. It wasn't that difficult after all. This can be a hard transition and sometimes the adopting family has less than realistic expectations, they want the perfect pet, These are imperfect creatures, many with horrific backstories, like Grace. The rewards of having patience and bringing these animals to a place of trust and love are huge. Having a best friend and a loving companion - there's nothing better! Social Media is one of the ways the rescue lets the public know which dogs are available. They have a large Facebook following of 11,000, and always have a presence on Petfinder. You can find them on Facebook at Peace4Paws, on the internet at, www.peace4paws.org, and by calling (201} 280-8696. There are lots of photos and mostly uplifting stories. Running a charity is a very expensive undertaking. Peace4Paws has events during the year , some with yoga and some with opera. Jenniter's students are often the main attraction. Jennifer has been teaching singing for over twenty five years. Her students range in age from seven to eighty seven. Jennifer has a vibrant musical career. She will be performing locally this March in Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" Jennifer is a lyric coloratura soprano and has appeared with The Palisades Opera, The Village Light Opera Group, The James opera and has been a soloist with The Baroque Orchestra of New Jersey, The Rockland Symphony, The Walnut Street Theater, and many other venues. If you might be interested in volunteering with the rescue, or have decided you need another fur baby, or perhaps would like to make a donation, all contact information is above. The people involved with this rescue, the foster parents, the volunteers are all remarkable, dedicated and beyond caring. Maria was a single mom, responsible for the care and well being of herself and her four kids. Her husband had been incarcerated and she found herself in an untenable situation. She had not been the person who had handled their finances before her husband had to leave, and she was not that savvy about paying bills and managing her finances. She was being hounded by four collection agencies and had maxed out her credit cards. Her dream, her goal was to purchase a home instead of paying a ridiculous amount for rent. The loan officer she spoke to put her in contact with credit specialist and finance coach, Anthony Rosa. Anthony came up with a budget. He negotiated with her creditors. He taught her how to manage her finances and her credit. Maria was a good student and within six months working with Anrhony, she was credit ready and on her way, able to purchase a home for her and her family. Maria is the type of client Anthony enjoys working with. A positive person who will listen to advice to achieve their goal. Sometimes this goal has nothing to do with a purchase, but someone, ready to retire, who wants to make sure all their finances are in order. Anthony calls himself a statistic, an inner city, low income Latino, a kid who grew up without much. His passion for giving people a better life stems from his early life. To quote Anthony, " I turned my troubles into success". Anthony grew up in the boroughs of New York and moved to Bergen County in the 90's. As a credit specialist and finance coach, Anthony works in all fifty states. All his work is done on the phone. He has a large client base , almost all by referral, completely word of mouth. When he works with clients with large unmanageable credit debt he becomes the intermediary between the client and the credit agency. Anthony works with both individuals and business owners, and this is rare. If a client is in collection, he validates the debt, sends letters, gets permission from the client to negotiate on their behalf and will leverage all consumer rights. He is a teacher who explains the process of managing credit clearly and concisely to his clients. He helps them understand the five factors that affect their credit and how they can help themselves, the way he helped Maria realize her goal. This is his joy. Anthony is not a fan of down time. He works from his home office and even when he is able to take a break, he is doing something that connects to work. There is always upbeat music in the background, but if he is not feeling productive, he is feeling guilty. His pleasure comes from his work. No family members work for him, but his family members do post about his business on different groups that they belong to. Anthony and his wife have four children with another on the way. He does get great pleasure from his family. and smiles when talking about them. Anthony Rosa is the guy anyone who has financial or credit problems should speak to. Credit card debt and financial mismanagement will be a thing of the past... Anthony Rosa 201 772 6590 freshstartadvancement@gmail.com Freshstartadvancement.com A tale of two cases: The man was crossing the street. As he reached the sidewalk. a huge bus jumped the curb and hit him in the lower part of his leg. The bus driver never saw the pedestrian and drove off - a hit and run. Although he assumed it was a New Jersey transit bus, the man was not sure. The injury was very serious and the man eventually lost his leg. Marc Winograd became his Attorney, he had to sue six different bus lines, and through two years of thorough investigation by litigation, he discovered that it was indeed a New Jersey Transit bus. They successfully sued the bus company, This was a huge win for Marc and his client. .... In a second case, the result became a landmark case. It was twice dismissed by the lower court. Marc appealed it twice. The client was a homeless man, an addict, who had been seriously injured at a halfway house. Marc proved that charitable immunity did not apply and eventually, again, a big and gratifying win for Marc in the appellate division. Charitable immunity is a doctrine that bars negligence claims against a corporation organized for religious, charitable, educational or hospital purposes.This case became a published opinion and Marc lectured on it at the NJAJ The successful outcome turned the client's life around. Marc is licensed in New York and New Jersey. His caseload for both states is heavy. Marc does personal injury litigation and because the rules, regulations and court systems are different for each state, it makes his work very interesting and stimulating. Each of his cases is different and that is one of the reasons that he loves his practice. He finds that, in general, 'it is an eclectic and intriguing career" .Marc has been licensed for forty-one years and he will work just as hard for a small case as he does for a large one. His clients are extremely important to him, and he is laser focused on each. His cases run the gamut of automobile accidents, slip and fall, and medical malpractice. Automobile accidents are the bread and butter of his practice. Marc feels that what distinguishes him from other attorneys is that he provides individual service for each client. He has heard of cases, for instance, an automobile accident, where the client, well into their case, has not even met the principal attorney. They might meet with a secretary, a junior attorney, but not the actual attorney litigating the case. As one can imagine, this is frustrating for a client who is looking for justice. Not knowing who is representing you does not inspire confidence. Marc takes pride in the practice of law. His expertise is in: negotiation, medical knowledge, litigation, and Insurance. In his own words, "when you retain Marc Winograd , you retain Marc." He is always available to his clients who have his cell number. He investigates and litigates every aspect of a case, and when needed will always get a second opinion. Marc's great inspiration from childhood was his uncle, Mickey Winograd. Micky was a well known college basketball player, playing point guard for Duquesne University. After graduation Mickey went to law school and he eventually became a public defender and ran the public defender's office in Hudson County Mark loved basketball and uncle Mickey. He never quite made it as a basketball player, but he did become a lawyer. His first job was with a major Insurance company. He got so much practice working for this firm that after a few years he confidently put out his own shingle, and slowly built up a great practice. Marc and his wife live in Bergen county. They have one daughter who is now in college in the Boston area. In his spare time Marc loves playing pickleball, goes to the gym and is a voracious reader. He admits to having been a " dead head" and he loves his sweet dog, a Havenese. You are paying too much for credit card services for your business. Sayel Kayed is sure of iT.9/21/2023 Imagine being on top of the world, everything just going your way. Sayel Kayed was engaged, planning to be married and his business was thriving. As Sayel explained " we were killing it” He was young and happy and decided to go on a short Florida vacation. But while he was away everything changed. His sales reps all left. Another company had offered them slightly more money, and a lot of empty promises. They just up and quit. He was left with just a shell. So much for loyalty. For a while Sayel was not sure what he would do. Close shop, get a job? But no, he decided to start over. Sayel feels that under these circumstances, most people would have given up. He had no reps so he went out and started to sell. He was his own best salesperson. In time, the model for the company changed. A sell anything platform became a merchant services business. And it is doing very well. This story is a testament to his entrepreneurial spirit and his dogged determination. Sayel deals with the major credit card processing companies in the country. He can beat any rate that a business is paying and get them the best price. He can also eliminate the bill completely if the merchant is willing to charge the customer a small percentage for using their credit card. Sayel also works with all the major phone and internet companies in the country like Verizon, Optimum, Spectrum and Comcast. He can look at business's bill and get them the best and fastest internet speed at the best price from another provider. Sayel has been working from his home office since covid, and working with reps who live in other countries. He uses sub agents, too, who might have another job. But on the side, through their connections, they refer good business to him. He pays them a motivating commission on any sale, and this is ongoing for as long as the contract is in effect. He is currently working in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Missouri. Missouri seems like an outlier, but Sayel met an accountant there who has major business connections and it has been a fruitful relationship, Sayel wanted to share his good fortune with some close cousins and great friends.They tried it for a short while. The longest time one cousin lasted was five months. The others, not even that long. You are either a salesperson or you are not. It was not for them. Disappointing for Sayel. Years ago while searching for a job, Sayel came across a company looking for warehouse workers. It sounded good to him. He had done that work before, Upon arriving for his interview the man in charge asked him to step outside. He explained it was actually an interview for a commission based sales position. Had he put that in the ad, he would not have had many applicants. Few people like working a commission only position. They want a guaranteed salary, Sayel had done some sales before and was willing to try, They set him up for a test run and he was the number one salesperson that day, beating 88 people. Within a few months he had become a trainer. They were selling anything and everything with which they could make money. This was the beginning of what has become a career for him. Sayel is a born salesman, and also an extremely nice and hard working person. He has loads of enthusiasm for his work and it is fun to hear him talk about it. Sayel and his wife have a wonderful large family with four kids. The oldest is in college, the youngest in elementary school. He is an athlete and enjoys playing basketball and football. The music he loves most are Arabic songs, a tribute to his Palestinian heritage. Sayel Kaled Midnight Storm Productions Inc 8426 Liberty Avenue First Floor North Bergen, New Jersey, 07047 917 445 4281 sayel@salesmaximum.com We all have dreams, goals, bucket lists, whatever you call them. Some are fortunate and through some means, connections, a twist of fate, and of course, perseverance, the dream becomes reality. Sara was one of the lucky ones. She owns property, but her dream was always to design and build a mixed-use apartment building. Through one of her colleagues she was introduced to Bill Barr of the Silex Financial Group, Commercial Mortgage Services. Bill is the consummate professional, and with his expertise in the financial lending world, was successful in refinancing one of her properties. This allowed her to put into motion the construction project of her dreams. Bill, a commercial mortgage specialist, plans to also obtain a mortgage that will enable her to complete the construction of her building. Bill had worked on Wall Street for over thirty years. As people started to vacate the office, when the pandemic hit, his whole life was turned upside down. He realized that working remotely was not for him. He went to an empty office, on an empty bus, walking the streets of a veritable ghost of a city. He had to leave. In His words “I just had it." Because he has family living in Hillsdale NJ, he thought that might be the answer for him, a complete change to help him fight the stress he was feeling. And that is where he wound up, a different location and then a different job. By chance, Bill, through a former colleague, found a position at Silex Financial Group, it was a good match for his talents, and he is really enjoying his work. It is so different from his time on Wall Street. Bill does a variety of commercial loans, construction, refinancing, purchase, even bridge loans. His favorites are construction loans for any type of commercial property. Bill is very personable and easy to talk to. He engages with his clients and these personal interactions are a favorite aspect of his business. Bill is the guy whom, you know, will get the job done, as witnessed by his repeat clients. Based on the past, interest rates today for real property seem high. but historically they are low. Bill believes that people will adjust to the new normal and start purchasing again. Active investors are still busy buying up everything. They fix properties up, rent them for a time and eventually sell for a profit. Bill services areas throughout the US, in 46 states, including, of course, New Jersey. The example above is for a town in Morris County. As it has been for many of us, the past four years have been traumatic. We have all had to find a different way to exist. Some of us grew in many ways. For others the pandemic was horribly destructive. Bill Barr went through a difficult transition, changing his life and career completely. A scary time for a man in his mid fifties. Through it all he kept his head up. His belief in himself as a sales person was strong, and he felt confident in his new, but carefully chosen job. Bill has two grown children and proudly, recently, became a grandfather. In his spare time Bill enjoys reading, listening to classic rock and doing photography. Bill Barr Mortgage Advisor Silex Financial Group, Inc 674 Lafayette Ave Hawthorne, NJ 07506 C 201 916 5762 O 973 423 0506 F 973 352 6054 Email Bill@Silexfinancial.com https://www.SilexFinancial.com A restaurant franchisee needed a manager for one his restaurants. He was an extremely busy guy, and because of his travels and other commitments, his search was sporadic. So, he got in touch with Linric Professional Services Recruiters, and the owner Eric Okoemu. Eric, using his own strategies, his time-tested approach, and with great care, prospected for, and interviewed, qualified candidates. In a short time he found someone he believed to be the perfect person for the job. And, he also believed he had the perfect job for this person. It had taken the franchisee over a year and finally, with Eric's help, he had found his manager. Eric’s strategy is, in truth, a very human approach; he does not want it to be only about salary. He wants it to be more holistic than that. So, he personally interviews all applicants but he also carefully interviews the client. His goal is to get a feeling for the people and the business so he can make a lasting connection for his clients and a lasting connection for the candidates. In his words, "finding the right job that matches one's passion." Eric does extensive interviews. He himself has held many jobs, mostly in sales. Some of those positions made him glad when he woke up in the morning, and excited to go to work, while others he disliked the job and disliked his boss. This is why he became a recruiter. He wants job candidates to be satisfied in their work and he wants his clients who hired those candidates to know they have found a good fit for their company. Eric wants it not to be all about the money. It is his mission. And, it is also the way he feels about the work he himself is doing now. "Why shouldn’t everyone feel this way?” Is the question he asks himself every day. After many ups and downs being in the workforce and not finding the perfect match for himself, Eric decided to work alongside a friend who owned a staffing agency. For him, the rest is history. He had found his niche, his “place”. The kind of business he wanted for himself, and Linric was born. In his work, he enjoys peace of mind and finds great satisfaction and enjoyment in matching individuals to positions that fulfill them, and that, in turn, makes for a great employee for his clients. Many of the people that Linric works with are immigrants. They will take jobs that others will not. These are jobs that might include working in a cold room all day stocking the shelves in a walk-in freezer, or unloading packages onto a dock. Many are not committed to their work and change jobs often. If they are making $20 an hour and the employer next door is paying $21, they will leave. Eric coaches them, tries to show them another way to think, to be on time, come to work every day, to feel pride in their work; to own what they are doing, and then maybe one day, as Eric encourages, they can become supervisors and make $25 or more. He gets them to understand the “long game” because he truly cares. Eric came to the US from Niger. He came for economic reasons, and for the chance to live life on his own terms, to be able to choose his own destiny. It seems that after some unpleasant and unfulfilling work experiences, he had found his calling. As a person, Eric is charming (and fun) to speak to, and one can see almost immediately why he is as successful as he is and why he is so good at what he does. Eric and his wife have five children, two girls and three boys. When he talks about his family his face lights up. For relaxation and fun, he loves to travel and listen to music. Going into a theater to watch a movie engages him. He is a true intellect and is in the process of getting his doctorate in business administration with an emphasis on marketing. He is intrigued by studying truth and reality, and by doing research on how God is perceived by different religions and cultures. There is no question that as he grows his knowledge and business acumen, it will make his business stronger and more effective than it already is. Eric Okoemo and Linric Professional Recruiters can be reached at: 16 Edgerton Terrace East Orange, New Jersey 07017 973 609 8466 ericokoemu@yahoo.com Mary Stevens and her husband did not have great credit scores. Their income was fair, but they had some late student loan payments three years ago that were holding back their scores. Having found the house that they wanted, they were in the difficult position of hearing "no" from two mortgage lenders. Then they met Sheetal Sawhney. Over the course of two months Sheetal worked with the couple to find a lender that had more flexibility in their underwriting and could acknowledge that the Stevens last three years had been spotless. Because Sheetal had so many different relationships with lenders and had built up robust relationships with all of them, she was able to get the job done. Mary and her husband closed on their house in May of 2023. Sheetal Sawhney is that rare and lucky person who feels that her job is her calling. Her greatest joy is helping clients realize their dream of owning property. One story she loves to tell is of a woman who came to the US from Jamaica with nothing, who, with Sheetal's help and guidance, in time, became the owner of four properties. She is what Sheetal calls a coachable client. Her favorite kind of client. Particularly gratifying to Sheetal is helping first time home buyers into their first home. Often a potential buyer cannot immediately qualify for a mortgage. Sheetal will hand them a "to do" list to follow, with a time frame. She teaches them budgeting and how to get rid of high interest credit cards. Many do as she says, come back to her, and are successfully able to become homeowners. In her words, " It is a big thrill that I enjoy very much". Her interest in her clients and her passion for her work is palpable. Because of the rise in interest rates and the lack of inventory, this is a particularly difficult time for those wishing to purchase a home. Sellers are not listing, unwilling to give up their low interest mortgages and if a client does find a property, there are usually multiple offers and bidding wars. Sheetal tells her clients that if they do find the perfect place to go for it, rates will eventually come down and they can then refinance. Sheetal is the Branch Manager and Senior Mortgage Originator for CrossCountry Mortgage in North Bergen, She is licensed in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Florida. Sheetal came to the US from India where she attended Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics in Mumbai India, and received her Masters in Finance. Her career started about 26 Years ago , at a time when she was, not that happily, working in the garment district. At that time, someone spoke to her about becoming a lender. The opportunities it offered intrigued her.. She impulsively decided to take the risk, left a good paying job, and she has never looked back. More than two decades later, she has built a book of loyal clients, who return and refer others to her. Many of her clients and real estate partners have become dear friends. Sheetal works with a team of like minded professionals. Their job is getting that pre -approval for their clients. It is intense and sometimes stressful work. She considers her team family, and most have been with her for a long time. Her operations manager has been with her for 25 years. The people on her team are service - driven, have similar values, have no agenda, and will hold their clients hands until closing. Loved and respected by her clients, Sheetal is the ultimate professional. She and her team have received many five star reviews on Zillow. Her realtor partners enjoy working with her and her "we are all in this together " approach to getting the job done and done well. She is a great communicator and is in touch with all parties in a transaction weekly.. the Realtor , the Attorney and of course, the buyer. Everyone knows what is going on and no one feels left out. With plans to grow her team., finding the right employees to compliment her already terrific group is her priority. Sheetal has been known to say "I love mortgages" What she accomplishes every day, year in year out, for her clients, shows that she really means it.
My name is Nadine Haruni, and I am the author of the Gold Mom’s Choice Award-winning Freeda The Frog™️ Children’s Book series. I am writing this article to explain a little bit about what the series is all about and the impetus for me writing it.
For me-- these books have thus far reflected situations that were going on in my own family, and I felt that some of these topics would be relatable to many other families out there as well. If you’re getting up there in age and are nearing retirement, the thought of planning and preparing for your own care in old age may seem daunting. Fortunately, there’s a growing movement out there that strives to make “golden years” living easier, less disruptive to people and their families, and less scary.
There are many New Jersey assisted living facilities and nursing homes in business today to serve the aging population and provide quality care. See https://www.newsweek.com/best-nursing-homes-2020/best-nursing-homes-new-jersey. But for those who are able, there may be another way to get needs met such as transportation, social events, classes, home repairs and medical without having to move out of your home. |
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